Page 18 of Monarch
“That’s not what last night was about.” I reach a hand out as if to touch them, but I drop it. “I mean, what tonightisabout. I’m not…”
“Using me to get over them?” Mari finishes for me. “I don’t think that. But even if you were, that would be cool. I mean, I am only here for a few days.”
It’s my turn to feel my mouth drop. “I wish you could stay longer,” I admit to them and to myself.
Mari’s smile creeps back, and it's even bigger than before. Their blue eyes are almost iridescent as they hold my gaze. “Maybe I can,” they say.
“Are you serious?” My hope is loud in my voice.
“I mean, yeah, maybe I can.” The kettle clicks off, and they turn to add the boiling water to two bouillon cubes sitting in the bottom of a measuring jug. “My mum is my boss. Yep, that’s right, I’m a nepo baby. But anyway, I think if I decided to take an extra week off and add it onto my trip, that would be okay.”
“Serious?” I step closer to them, and they turn to me once the kettle is returned to its dock.
“Yeah.” Mari wraps their arms around my waist and pulls me close. “But no pressure. You don’t have to see me again if it’s not what you want.”
“Oh, I want,” I say, and I dive down to kiss their lips.
There are more kisses as Mari adds the liquid to the soup. I nibble on their shoulder as they stir in the noodles. When they’re frying tofu, I wrap my arms around their waist and lean my head against the top of their head. I massage their shoulders as they chop up spring onions and coriander as toppings. And then, as the soup simmers, Mari turns to face me and we share the slowest, sweetest kiss of my life.
You’re wrong, my brain pipes up out of nowhere while Mari’s lips are still on mine.You had kisses like this with Lex. In the very beginning, it was just as perfect with Lex as this is with Mari.
So that I don’t yell ‘fuck off’ out loud again, I instead add a lot more passion and force to my kiss with Mari. It’s not a surprise when they pull away, surprised.
“Ready to go again?” they ask, and they look just as willing for that to happen as I am, even if it’s for all the wrong reasons. But I’m determined to get Lex out of my brain, and if I have to fuck xem out of it, so be it. “But first we eat. We need nourishment and electrolytes and all those aftercarey good things.”
I reluctantly disentangle my limbs from theirs and find some bowls, forks, and spoons.
“I should be telling you about aftercare,” I say. “After how that played out earlier.”
Mari shrugs as they serve up the soup. “I’m a switch too, remember. And I like to give out aftercare. It’s one of my favourite parts of kink.”
There, I tell my brain firmly.That’s something Lex was never very good at. That’s why I need to forget all about xem and focus on Mari, who loves aftercare and has made me soup and wants to maybe even change their plans to see me more…
“Are you okay?” Mari asks, and I realise they’ve picked up the bowls and are already one foot out of the kitchen, but I’m not following.
“Yep, yeah. Sorry,” I smile as wide as I can and take one of the bowls. “Just a bit tired.”
“Then we’ll eat and sleep, a worthy second option to eating and fucking.” Mari winks at me and then turns to enter my living room. I follow more determined than ever to focus on Mari. On the soup they just made me. On sleeping with them afterwards, and maybe waking up to fuck them again in the morning. On being present, and absolutely not thinking about Lex.
Chapter Seven
Mari
I’m sore, which makes me smile before I even open my eyes. That delicious ache reminds me of exactly what happened last night – and then again in the early hours of this morning after we filled our bellies with soup – and despite the mild discomfort, I’m ready to go again. I was serious about extending my trip, but even another week with Roos doesn’t feel like it will be enough.
Her body is already curled up against me, her spine curved, and her knees tucked up against my side while her head rests on my arm. I roll over so I can wrap myself around her, and I start to kiss her neck, just under the silk wrap she has tied up over her hair. When my teeth graze up to her earlobe, she finally starts to stir.
“What time is it?” she asks in the most adorably throaty voice.
“Don’t know, don’t care.”
“You want to fuck again?” Roos asks when she feels me rock my hips into her.
“Something like that.”
“Could you…” She lifts her head to look at me questioningly. “Could you be in charge this time? And maybe fuck me while I just lie here sleepily?”
I catch her drift immediately. “Do you want to pretend you’re asleep, even?”
